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2012 W204 LED Taillight Retrofit DIY
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 283
Likes: 0
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2009 Fully loaded C63 AMG - black on black and CF trim; 2006 Lexus IS250 AWD;
Hey Guys,
A couple of you have PM'ed me about this and I'll take a few minutes over the weekend to put up a DIY for you all. It's pretty easy IF you know what you're doing. Which I now do, having unnecessarily pulled the back half of my car apart the first time, lol.
Josh
A couple of you have PM'ed me about this and I'll take a few minutes over the weekend to put up a DIY for you all. It's pretty easy IF you know what you're doing. Which I now do, having unnecessarily pulled the back half of my car apart the first time, lol.
Josh
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 4,026
Likes: 7
From: Walnut Creek, CA
Vivid Racing '09 C63 AMG
C63 Guy, that would be awesome of you!
In order to installa 2012 SAM, you'd have to make sure the fitment and programming were compatible. In any case, a new SAM is $400-500 and Whipple's route is less expensive. I'm still open to a communal SAM we could pass around and chip in for so ours cars were still drivable while we had Whipple reprogramming ours.
In order to installa 2012 SAM, you'd have to make sure the fitment and programming were compatible. In any case, a new SAM is $400-500 and Whipple's route is less expensive. I'm still open to a communal SAM we could pass around and chip in for so ours cars were still drivable while we had Whipple reprogramming ours.
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 615
Likes: 0
2017 991.2 Turbo PDK 2017 C63S Coupe Ceramic Brakes 2015 CLS63S AMG Full House
Super Member
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 837
Likes: 25
From: seattle
1990 300ce supercharged and intercooled
If you order a new sam with the taillights it would be about 1247.00. + shipping. The compatibility of the sam from the 2012 is not as important as having it coded to the right function. The sam unit comes without coding from the factory. It is scn coded at the dealer by your vin number from Mercedes. The problem with doing scn coding is that you need the exact same optioned car to do this with. So the coding would be identical. Except of course the taillights. This is an automatic process with the dealer and they can not even see the coding. What I am doing is manually coding the options for the taillights. If any of you want to not have your car down for shipping the SAM and want to buy one that would be easy to do. Or the suggested idea of having a core on the sam as an exchange.
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 512
Likes: 1
From: Los Angeles
2009 C63 AMG
So yes, I'm waiting for Josh's DIY tutorial as well.
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Super Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 512
Likes: 1
From: Los Angeles
2009 C63 AMG
it's a direct pull just as Josh said, as long as the key position is turned off. Make sure you've pressed down those two clippers and use some muscles to push.
but I just can't figure out how to turn it around so I can slide it out.
you see when you pull it, the outer edge of the SAM box will hit the inner side of the quarter panel while the SAM is still in the slot. That puts me on halt.
but I just can't figure out how to turn it around so I can slide it out.
you see when you pull it, the outer edge of the SAM box will hit the inner side of the quarter panel while the SAM is still in the slot. That puts me on halt.
Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 169
Likes: 0
From: Jordan
2009 c350 arctic White pano. MM HK
Hi all i have c 350 2009 and i changed the taillights to the 2012 and thay change it and conact it to computer and did softwher and it worked perfict and all the labor abut 4h and i did it in privet shop i dont know how to upload photos
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 4,026
Likes: 7
From: Walnut Creek, CA
Vivid Racing '09 C63 AMG
it's a direct pull just as Josh said, as long as the key position is turned off. Make sure you've pressed down those two clippers and use some muscles to push.
but I just can't figure out how to turn it around so I can slide it out.
you see when you pull it, the outer edge of the SAM box will hit the inner side of the quarter panel while the SAM is still in the slot. That puts me on halt.
but I just can't figure out how to turn it around so I can slide it out.
you see when you pull it, the outer edge of the SAM box will hit the inner side of the quarter panel while the SAM is still in the slot. That puts me on halt.
I got my SAM out. It's actually not that bad if you have some guidance. I'll write it up in a few.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 4,026
Likes: 7
From: Walnut Creek, CA
Vivid Racing '09 C63 AMG
How to remove your SAM
Alright folks,
Thanks to some good ole' fashioned elbow grease, I figured it out. Most of this can be done with your bare hands but you will need a 9mm socket wrench to make life easier.
Step 1: Disconnect the battery. I'd suggest wearing gloves, but with the car off you should be okay without. There's one bolt you need to loosen before you pull the cable off.
Step 2: Pull out the trunk lining. There are 3 items you need to remove. 2 are the little push pins that you can remove with your fingernails. There's a center pin that feeds and lock the outer pin. I found that it was easiest to remove the center pin then the outer pin. You also need to remove the grocery hook. No trick, just pull straight out. A flat screwdriver might help here.
Step 3: There is only one bolt in the top left that you really need to remove. If you do step 2 and pull back the lining, you'll see it easily. When you remove this bolt, you can tilt the whole module forward (by forward I mean toward your left, away from the right side of the car). There is a brace on the bottom that the module appears to be attached to...you just need to tilt it far enough and you can slide it out of the bracket.
Step 4: Once step 3 is done, you can easily access everything. There are two black snap locks that secure the SAM. Press those simultaneously and shimmy out the SAM.
Step 5: There's one connector that you can squeeze to remove, but there are 3 more that you can't. Just look at the picture and press where the red arrow points, then pull the grey tab where the blue arrow is and the connector should easily pop out. Everything is color coded so you won't have to remember where it connects.
Best of luck to you, gents. I'll be mailing my SAM out to whipple today for overnight delivery and should get it back by Thursday.
Thanks to some good ole' fashioned elbow grease, I figured it out. Most of this can be done with your bare hands but you will need a 9mm socket wrench to make life easier.
Step 1: Disconnect the battery. I'd suggest wearing gloves, but with the car off you should be okay without. There's one bolt you need to loosen before you pull the cable off.
Step 2: Pull out the trunk lining. There are 3 items you need to remove. 2 are the little push pins that you can remove with your fingernails. There's a center pin that feeds and lock the outer pin. I found that it was easiest to remove the center pin then the outer pin. You also need to remove the grocery hook. No trick, just pull straight out. A flat screwdriver might help here.
Step 3: There is only one bolt in the top left that you really need to remove. If you do step 2 and pull back the lining, you'll see it easily. When you remove this bolt, you can tilt the whole module forward (by forward I mean toward your left, away from the right side of the car). There is a brace on the bottom that the module appears to be attached to...you just need to tilt it far enough and you can slide it out of the bracket.
Step 4: Once step 3 is done, you can easily access everything. There are two black snap locks that secure the SAM. Press those simultaneously and shimmy out the SAM.
Step 5: There's one connector that you can squeeze to remove, but there are 3 more that you can't. Just look at the picture and press where the red arrow points, then pull the grey tab where the blue arrow is and the connector should easily pop out. Everything is color coded so you won't have to remember where it connects.
Best of luck to you, gents. I'll be mailing my SAM out to whipple today for overnight delivery and should get it back by Thursday.
Last edited by CoolBDPhenom03; Apr 25, 2012 at 05:45 PM.
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 512
Likes: 1
From: Los Angeles
2009 C63 AMG
Step 3: There is only one bolt in the top left that you really need to remove. If you do step 2 and pull back the lining, you'll see it easily. When you remove this bolt, you can tilt the whole module forward (by forward I mean toward your left, away from the right side of the car). There is a brace on the bottom that the module appears to be attached to...you just need to tilt it far enough and you can slide it out of the bracket.
question 1: what's the size of the bolt in step 3
question 2: I haven't been able to remove the grocery hook yet, how much force did you apply? I'm afraid of breaking it before I can pull it out
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 4,026
Likes: 7
From: Walnut Creek, CA
Vivid Racing '09 C63 AMG
I used a 9mm socket. For the grocery hook, the pin part is at the top and there's another little plastic bit toward the bottom that prevents it from spinning. Just pull as straight out as you can and use a screwdriver to pry the top part out. No trick to it, just slow and steady.
Last edited by CoolBDPhenom03; Apr 25, 2012 at 06:05 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 4,026
Likes: 7
From: Walnut Creek, CA
Vivid Racing '09 C63 AMG
Edited the other post with part numbers.
Here's a pic of the push pins and grocery hook so you can see how to remove them. Sorry for the grainy cell phone pic.
Here's a pic of the push pins and grocery hook so you can see how to remove them. Sorry for the grainy cell phone pic.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 4,026
Likes: 7
From: Walnut Creek, CA
Vivid Racing '09 C63 AMG
Got it back from Whipple!
Hi folks,
I talked to Whipple yesterday and not only did he receive my SAM in the morning, but his friend who lent him a C63 for reprogramming showed up early so I got reprogrammed SAM back this morning!
Installed it, reconnected the battery and we're good to go.
Originally, after I installed the lights, the left fog light was coming on any time the headlights were on and the right fog light was throwing an error message on my dash (for not being on). So far so good - no error messagers and no fog lights.
Thanks a ton, Whipple!
PS: Both the battery bolt and the bolt in step 3 to remove the bracket to access the SAM are 9mm.
I talked to Whipple yesterday and not only did he receive my SAM in the morning, but his friend who lent him a C63 for reprogramming showed up early so I got reprogrammed SAM back this morning!
Installed it, reconnected the battery and we're good to go.
Originally, after I installed the lights, the left fog light was coming on any time the headlights were on and the right fog light was throwing an error message on my dash (for not being on). So far so good - no error messagers and no fog lights.
Thanks a ton, Whipple!
PS: Both the battery bolt and the bolt in step 3 to remove the bracket to access the SAM are 9mm.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 4,026
Likes: 7
From: Walnut Creek, CA
Vivid Racing '09 C63 AMG
Any body shop can install it or you can do it yourself. It's just plug and play.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,375
Likes: 16
From: Hong Kong
2010 C200 CGI
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 689
Likes: 0
home the point
They would, but why would you order it from a dealership? The lights I got from Parts.com were from Mercedes-Benz of Naperville, IL and they were around $200/ea. If you ordered from the dealership, I think they would charge you at least $100 more per light.
Any body shop can install it or you can do it yourself. It's just plug and play.
Any body shop can install it or you can do it yourself. It's just plug and play.
